Davao City mixes tradition with business opportunities

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The city government will provide business to micro-entrepreneurs as the traditional yuletide celebration gears up for the holidays. Zuleika T. Lopez, council secretary, said the setting-up of free booths for the duration of the traditional Misa de Gallo (dawn masses) around this city’s Catholic church, which start tomorrow, seeks to blend the traditional daily masses in the run-up to Christmas Day and entrepreneurship. Over 25 food exhibitors have expressed interest in availing of the privilege and more applications will be evaluated as they come in. Reservations were done on a first-come, first-served basis, Lopez said. "If this project spurs the spirit of entrepreneurship among Davaoeños, then I hope it will be a yearly thing," Lopez said. Councilor Susabel Reta, chairman of the tourism committee, said establishments registered at the Business Bureau were also invited. To date, the business bureau has issued licenses to over 27,000 businesses in the city. Ms. Reta said the effort was a way to give churchgoers a wider variety of food choices during the dawn mass since the only establishments open at the time are the usual bakeries and the more expensive 24-hour fastfood chains. The project, called "Nine Mornings" was conceived as a complement to the annual Pasko (Christmas) Fiesta program of the city. The draft sketch for the project showed a row of booths lining the city’s Centennial Park and around the city council building in front of the San Pedro Cathedral, Davao City’s biggest church. At the same time, the area fronting the cathedral will also be converted into a daily bazaar and everybody is welcome to display their products, including those peddling secondhand goods, organizers said. As part of the local government austerity measures in the face of economic crisis, Pasko Fiesta celebration is much more conservative. The annual showcase of flashy Christmas lights display at the city hall and Quezon Park was reduced as bulk of the cost will be realigned for food baskets that will be distributed to the city’s poor families. "No one should go hungry in Davao during the Christmas season," said Patricia M. Ruivivar, executive secretary of Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte. – Joel B. Escovilla, BusinessWorld